Šimon Hrubec, 30, arrives from Avangard Omsk of the KHL and will be part of a goaltending trio with Ludovic Waeber and Jeffrey Meier. Last season, Hrubec won the Gagarin Cup with the club from Omsk. This season, Hrubec appeared in 40 regular-season games for Omsk, posting a .922 save percentage and also participated in the 2022 Winter Olympics.
As for Dean Kukan, a product of the Lions' organization, he returns to Switzerland after four years in Sweden and seven years in North America with the franchise of the Columbus Blue Jackets. "Kukan is a smart 'puck mover' and possesses a good first pass, even under pressure. That makes him an important piece of the puzzle for our defense" states the Lions' team manager Sven Leuenberger.
This season, the 28-year-old defenseman suited up in 41 games for the Blue Jackets, recording eleven points. Recently, he also played at the World Championship with the Swiss national team collecting six points and being named one of the three best players of the team.
